Cyan, the Creators of Myst, Cut Workforce by Half Amid Search for New Project Funding

The team responsible for VR favorites like Myst, Riven, Firmament, and Obduction has faced a tough time recently, letting go of “roughly half” of its members, which amounts to about twelve talented individuals.

Here’s the full statement Cyan released:

“We have some unfortunate news to share today. Despite our efforts to prevent it, we had to make the hard decision to downsize our team by about twelve members—about half of our group—by the end of March.

The tough conditions of the industry have put us in a tight spot, forcing us to balance the future sustainability of our studio against the ongoing challenges of game development in 2025. Over the past year, we’ve been very open with our entire team at Cyan about the rough journey we’re on and the potential hurdles ahead. Although our team saw this coming, it hasn’t lessened the sadness of the situation for any of us.

We’ve tried our best to soften the blow with severance packages and strongly encourage fellow developers in need of top-tier talent to reach out.

Currently, our main focus is securing funding for our upcoming project and getting our studio back on solid ground. We’ve weathered storms before over our long history and hope to continue crafting those unique experiences that only Cyan can bring to life.

We are always thankful for the continued love and support from our amazing community of players.”

While the call for financing doesn’t explicitly mention VR, it’s worth noting that Cyan stands out as one of the few studios with significant experience in creating games that incorporate hand-tracking technology.

Given this, how can giants like Apple, Meta, Google, Valve, and Sony overlook the potential of supporting teams like Cyan in developing more VR innovations?